The $200,000 Club

The $200,000 Club has 48 members this year—the most ever. Three of them are on the way out of the union, after being caught in crimes against the members.

Four $200,000 Club members were voted out of IBT office in the election of November 2016, thanks to the Fred Zuckerman Teamsters United slate. Three of those four, John Coli, Ken Wood, and Brian Buhle, have retired from the union, taking giant pension payments on the way out. Tyson Johnson also retired after being defeated as Southern VP.

Six officials inflated their salaries over the maximum allowed by the IBT Constitution, which states that no official on the International Union payroll can exceed the General President’s salary.

Factual and Nonpartisan

Some of the officials in the report are hardworking, qualified individuals. This listing is not a condemnation. It is a factual, nonpartisan report to the members, which has been published annually for more than 35 years.

Putting this salary information in the hands of Teamsters member has greatly reduced excess salaries. Teamster General President Jackie Presser paid himself over $500,000 in 1983, which is $1.2 million in today’s salaries.

Exposing greed has helped to curb it and freed up more union funds for organizing and fighting for good contracts. But more needs to be done to reallocate union resources.

Most of the people on this list receive multiple salaries from the International Union, creating a patronage system used to maintain Hoffa and his associates in power.

The 48 officials in the $200,000 Club received $13.8 million in total compensation.

If the top salary for Teamster officials was capped at $200,000, except for the General President, it would free up nearly $3 million in dues money to put to work for the members.

Where We Stand

Union officers should be compensated well for their work, but greed has no place in our union.

One solution to dues waste is for active, informed members to come together and demand change. That’s what TDU is all about.

A second solution is to change our union’s leadership and rid the Teamsters of corruption.

TDU members work to make this happen. If you agree that knowledge is power, and that we need new leadership, become a TDU member and stand with the thousands of Teamsters who have joined TDU to organize for change.

PUT OUR DUES TO WORK FOR THE MEMBERS

“Our dues money should be to be put to work to defeat concessions, protect our pensions, and win better contracts—instead of being wasted on outrageous salaries for Hoffa and other weak leaders in the $200,000 Club.”

Willie Ford TDU Steering Committee Local 71, Florence, SC

WHERE DO WE GET THIS INFO ON THE SALARIES OF TEAMSTER OFFICIALS?

The Teamster Rank and File Education and Legal Defense Foundation (TRF) analyzed hundreds of LM-2 financial reports and IRS 990 tax forms for 2016, filed by locals, joint councils, conferences, and the IBT. Click here to find out how to access the LM-2 of your local union.

The information is factual and nonpartisan, and includes every officer we have salary data for. Locals 2010 and 1932 have refused to comply with federal law which requires them to provide copies of their 2016 Form 990 tax returns. Data for those locals are from 2015.

Aggregate salaries reported for Rome Aloise, Randy Korgan, Betty Strzechowski, Tom O’Donnell, Greg Floyd and John Coli exceed Hoffa’s salary. This is an apparent violation of the IBT Constitution (Article V, Section 1(d)) which prohibits International officers and representatives from exceeding Hoffa’s salary. Rome Aloise claims on the Local 853 LM-2 form that his excess reflects accrued vacation. We will continue to investigate this issue.

Or sign in with email

Create an account

Related Articles

June 01, 2018

Did Hoffa and other top Teamster officials rig the bidding on contracts with Teamster benefit funds and take employers gifts and payoffs? Corruption investigators are in federal court to find out the answer.

May 03, 2018

Did Hoffa and other top Teamster officials rig the bidding on contracts with Teamster benefit funds and take improper gifts and payoffs? Corruption investigators are in federal court and asking for subpoena power to find out the answer.

August 14, 2017

Teamster members elected a full General Executive Board last November. Now Hoffa refuses to hold regular meetings claiming that “past practice” dictates that he’s not required to hold GEB meetings. This is in direct violation of the Teamster Constitution, which specifically requires that the Board meet once in every quarter.

I am TDU

"TDU unites workers to take on corporate greed. Together, we're taking on corrupting and contract givebacks and fighting for a better future. A strong union involves everyone. That's what TDU is all about."

Recent News

July 24, 2019

The concessionary UPS contract that was rejected by UPS Teamsters isn’t doing much for the members, but it is paying off for management. In a flurry of press releases over the last 24 hours, UPS announced that profits are rising and the company will use lower-paid 22.4 drivers to make Sunday deliveries starting in January.

July 23, 2019

HR 397 – The Butch Lewis Act is expected to be voted on in the House of Representatives on Wednesday, July 24. Teamsters and allies are asked to call their House representative and ask them to vote YES on the bill. Click here for The House switchboard directory. The National United Committee to Protect Pensions will have Teamster activists present in the House Chamber when votes are cast.